Fitness, Nutrition, Exercise, Tightness', Etc.

[andy and the r man]

I was just typing a reply to a post explaining the reasons why I enjoy this website to a newcomer including the generosity of many of the members on here when it occurred to me that I'm certainly in a position to pay it forward. I've been a personal trainer for 17 years and have clients that are doctors, pro athletes, NBA, PGA, NFL, pro bodybuilding, gymnastics, figure skating, physical therapy, rehab, and rich housewives...

I'd like to extend an invitation to any org member with any questions pertaining to nutrition, exercise, illness', conditions, injuries, fitness, supplements, workouts, etc etc to shoot me an e mail and I'll be happy to help you, pro bono of course. This is just a little way I can give back to this community.

andy@completefitnessdesign.com

 

[Brew City Busa]

sweet to see the pay it forward movement happening. Its great to see it here all the time. I know you'll get a lot of questions just like rev gets paint questions. thanks for the offer!

 

[andy and the r man]

Sure. Bring 'em on!

 

[Takeuon]

I was just typing a reply to a post explaining the reasons why I enjoy this website to a newcomer including the generosity of many of the members on here when it occurred to me that I'm certainly in a position to pay it forward. I've been a personal trainer for 17 years and have clients that are doctors, pro athletes, NBA, PGA, NFL, pro bodybuilding, gymnastics, figure skating, physical therapy, rehab, and rich housewives...

I'd like to extend an invitation to any org member with any questions pertaining to nutrition, exercise, illness', conditions, injuries, fitness, supplements, workouts, etc etc to shoot me an e mail and I'll be happy to help you, pro bono of course. This is just a little way I can give back to this community.

andy@completefitnessdesign.com

Very generous offer of you Andy! I have subscribed to this thread and you can plan on hearing from me shortly.

 

[vacivus]

 

[BUBBA]

Just bought a Tower 200. I know it is not for the BB, but I just need a low impact routine.
What do you know of this product? I have not really used it on a reg basis, but seems to suit my needs as an old man.

Nice that you are willing to put this forward, I met my wife of 25+ years while working in a health spa.
Bubba

 

[Busakid08]

I am a fat 50 yr old how the hell do I get rid of my gut without running 20miles a day and no I dont drink beer

 

[shanepst]

I am a fat 50 yr old how the hell do I get rid of my gut without running 20miles a day and no I dont drink beer

Change 50 yr old to 26 yr old, and second this statement =)

 

[ANTON BUSA]

well done andy i am 50 and do train every day of my life you will hear from me

 

[edubb1971]

 

[andy and the r man]

Here's the first nibble I'm posting it for the benefit of others as there's nothing confidential or sensitive in here.

hey im looking to get a cardio/weight loss exercise going. what kind of machines would you recommend for low impact on a knee. i have a knee that give me trouble at work, i know my knee would be less of a problem if i lost weight. im currently dieting but wanna lose more faster and gain some stamina. i can join a gym but wanna know kinda what would you would reccomend after seeing your thread.

thanks
matt[/QUOTE]

Hi Matt,
The first order of business before any cardiovascular work is to figure out what's wrong with the knee and the severity. It could be a simple thing such as a tight vastus medialis muscle pulling the patella tendons and scewing the tracking, thus causing discomfort, or it could be something more serious such as a meniscus or crucial ligament tear.
I would focus on nutrition first and foremost to drop some weight before you do much cardio on a bum knee. You want to eat 6 small meals daily that are balnced in protein, fat and carbs. Fat's are good fats such as avocado, fish oil, olive oil, etc etc. Carbs should be complex carbs such as brown rice, cous cous, etc etc as opposed to simple sugars which promote water retention and spike the insulin levels as they raise the blood sugar levels.
\The ratio should be 30% protein. 60% carbs, and the 10% good fats.
As for cardio, I'd suggest an elliptical machine or a stationary bike in order to ease into things. Drop some pounds this way and then we'll discuss advanced options to avoid a plateau.

Andy

 

[andy and the r man]

I am a fat 50 yr old how the hell do I get rid of my gut without running 20miles a day and no I dont drink beer

Nutrition and moderate cardio exercise to start.
Look at the pitfalls of your diet. It's not beer, but do you eat sweets, etc etc?

 

[andy and the r man]

Just bought a Tower 200. I know it is not for the BB, but I just need a low impact routine.
What do you know of this product? I have not really used it on a reg basis, but seems to suit my needs as an old man.

Nice that you are willing to put this forward, I met my wife of 25+ years while working in a health spa.
Bubba

The tower is ok. Things like this are fine because they get you up and moving. Chances are you were relatively sedentary in terms of exercise before and these things get you up and exercising. The promo is funny though... Randy Couture endorses it and that's like saying Hulk Hogan got so big because he drank a lot of milk

 

[DaCol.]

Thanks

 

[routemanj]

Ok heres my deal.

Since Oct of 09, Ive been hitting the gym 5-6 times a week. Ive gone from about 340 lbs, 50+ waist, 3x and 4x shirts to 245 right now and a 38 waist and wearing 1x and 2x shirts. I feel better than I ever have ( Thats also why I bought a Busa ) right now I lift hard 4-5 days and hit cardio hard for one. Is that enough? I still have fat in my midsection, and thigh area. It's driving me insane. I eat very good, 4-6 times daily.

Am I on the right track or do I need to change something up? I can honestly say that I do not enjoy cardio. I use to do it every other day, but started lifting and seeing plenty results.

I'm not complaining about what Ive done, but am curious what i can do to get rid of the excess fat still on my body. Thanks in advance!

 

[theskaz]

Ok heres my deal.

Since Oct of 09, Ive been hitting the gym 5-6 times a week. Ive gone from about 340 lbs, 50+ waist, 3x and 4x shirts to 245 right now and a 38 waist and wearing 1x and 2x shirts. I feel better than I ever have ( Thats also why I bought a Busa ) right now I lift hard 4-5 days and hit cardio hard for one. Is that enough? I still have fat in my midsection, and thigh area. It's driving me insane. I eat very good, 4-6 times daily.

Am I on the right track or do I need to change something up? I can honestly say that I do not enjoy cardio. I use to do it every other day, but started lifting and seeing plenty results.

I'm not complaining about what Ive done, but am curious what i can do to get rid of the excess fat still on my body. Thanks in advance!

Not to step on Andy's toes, but I have a question that I figure he is going to ask anyway.

Are you still losing weight?
how old, how tall?

If so, I would just keep at it, obviously it is working. (if it aint broke...). If not, it might be a time to bring your daily calorie intake back to maintenance for a week or so, then go back to your diet.

The fat that you have in your midsection will be the last to go. always is. Personally, i would love to see some progress pics. 100 lbs is a lot to lose.

now about the gym...

what does your workout look like? what weights are you at now vs what where you at when you started?

disclaimer: this is just my opinion as I do not have any certs or anything else, but I do have a working knowledge of nutrition and bodybuilding/strength training.

 

[BUBBA]

The tower is ok. Things like this are fine because they get you up and moving. Chances are you were relatively sedentary in terms of exercise before and these things get you up and exercising. The promo is funny though... Randy Couture endorses it and that's like saying Hulk Hogan got so big because he drank a lot of milk

I just did the 11 min routine and here is my assessment:

No. 1 - You are not going to gain very much mass with this type of equipment.

No. 2 - The 11 min routine is a killer for an old man who does not work out regularly. The cardio is great and my heart was racing by the third exercise. I had to stop a few times to catch my breath.

No. 3 - Not enough upper body and ab sets for my liking, almost every set is either a lunge or a squat, good for the legs but my right calf fell off and rolled behind the work bench. I will get it tomorrow because my thighs have now turned to rubber. I can't walk now because the quads will not go near the Tower.

No. 4 - Very good progressive resistance and I think it can give you a very good workout if you push it and really stick with it. I will let you know how I am doing after my next workout in December.

No. 5 - The handles are cheap and I will replace them with good quality ones, they only attach with a lock hook. But be careful of how you grasp them, I was showing the wife an exercise and the handle slipped off my wrist and hit my lower shin and added to the pain.

Last - Would I recommend this type of product?
Yes, with the following comments.

If you are an office rat and just want to increase your heart rate and decreased your wallet size, no worries. You can get a great routine done in very little time and gradually increase your metabolism.

If you are an Old man (Like me) you can do many different exercises and gain some muscle tone back.

For the serious lifter or BB, if you have the extra cash and want to have something to do when you cant get to the gym or you are able to take it on the road, than yes, you too can get some use out of it.

Andy
You are somewhat correct about me being sedentary, but only in relative terms. I led a very active life and have done many different types of physical sports throughout my years, including Kayaking, hiking, and jogging in my latter days. Only the last few years have I been less than active trying to keep up with my Uber active wife.

I bought this to help keep me interested and toned in my elder years, not to really build muscle.

In the picture attached is me at my best, about 168 and a 30" waist. I know I can never get back to that now, but I am trying to get as close as I can, sans the tan.

All kidding aside it is not a bad piece of equipment and can provide much for very little.

I surely agree that Randy C. did not get there from here!

Just my two reps.
Bubba

 

[andy and the r man]

Ok heres my deal.

Since Oct of 09, Ive been hitting the gym 5-6 times a week. Ive gone from about 340 lbs, 50+ waist, 3x and 4x shirts to 245 right now and a 38 waist and wearing 1x and 2x shirts. I feel better than I ever have ( Thats also why I bought a Busa ) right now I lift hard 4-5 days and hit cardio hard for one. Is that enough? I still have fat in my midsection, and thigh area. It's driving me insane. I eat very good, 4-6 times daily.

Am I on the right track or do I need to change something up? I can honestly say that I do not enjoy cardio. I use to do it every other day, but started lifting and seeing plenty results.

I'm not complaining about what Ive done, but am curious what i can do to get rid of the excess fat still on my body. Thanks in advance!

For the stubborn fat, you'll need to switch to long cardio sessions (@ 1 hr) first thing in the am when your glycemic stores are depleted and you're burning the most fat. The second best time for cardio is right after a hard workout, but first thing in the am is far better. You'll need to be doing cardio 3-4x weekly and make sure you have enough water.

 

[Busa Jules]

For the stubborn fat, you'll need to switch to long cardio sessions (@ 1 hr) first thing in the am when your glycemic stores are depleted and you're burning the most fat. The second best time for cardio is right after a hard workout, but first thing in the am is far better. You'll need to be doing cardio 3-4x weekly and make sure you have enough water.

This question kind of goes along with the above post.. and I've always heard conflicting views on this...

If you cardio in the AM... do you eat before?

I currently try to stick (loosely) to the South Beach plan... it's what works for me.. (I even think about sugar or carbs and I gain 15lbs ). Lots of eggs, chicken, pork (loin and ham.. depending on the salt content), some veggies (I can make it through a small salad every now and then), and some fruit.

I also Zumba at least once a week... trying to bump that to 3 times a week.. I LOATHE the treadmill or anything that involves me going in circles. I would rather dance my A** off for an hour than touch gym equipment. Any suggestions on weight lifting regimens? I tried P90X.. and well.. got bored. I became very discouraged when I couldnt keep up and well.... I quit. It was way too much like gym class...

 

[andy and the r man]

I just did the 11 min routine and here is my assessment:

No. 1 - You are not going to gain very much mass with this type of equipment.

No. 2 - The 11 min routine is a killer for an old man who does not work out regularly. The cardio is great and my heart was racing by the third exercise. I had to stop a few times to catch my breath.

No. 3 - Not enough upper body and ab sets for my liking, almost every set is either a lunge or a squat, good for the legs but my right calf fell off and rolled behind the work bench. I will get it tomorrow because my thighs have now turned to rubber. I can't walk now because the quads will not go near the Tower.

No. 4 - Very good progressive resistance and I think it can give you a very good workout if you push it and really stick with it. I will let you know how I am doing after my next workout in December.

No. 5 - The handles are cheap and I will replace them with good quality ones, they only attach with a lock hook. But be careful of how you grasp them, I was showing the wife an exercise and the handle slipped off my wrist and hit my lower shin and added to the pain.

Last - Would I recommend this type of product?
Yes, with the following comments.

If you are an office rat and just want to increase your heart rate and decreased your wallet size, no worries. You can get a great routine done in very little time and gradually increase your metabolism.

If you are an Old man (Like me) you can do many different exercises and gain some muscle tone back.

For the serious lifter or BB, if you have the extra cash and want to have something to do when you cant get to the gym or you are able to take it on the road, than yes, you too can get some use out of it.

Andy
You are somewhat correct about me being sedentary, but only in relative terms. I led a very active life and have done many different types of physical sports throughout my years, including Kayaking, hiking, and jogging in my latter days. Only the last few years have I been less than active trying to keep up with my Uber active wife.

I bought this to help keep me interested and toned in my elder years, not to really build muscle.

In the picture attached is me at my best, about 168 and a 30" waist. I know I can never get back to that now, but I am trying to get as close as I can, sans the tan.

All kidding aside it is not a bad piece of equipment and can provide much for very little.

I surely agree that Randy C. did not get there from here!

Just my two reps.
Bubba

Glad it works for you. You look great in that picture. You can certainly get there again if you set your mind to it. Obviously it's harder as we get older, but you can definitely get and stay in excellent shape. As you progress with this you may find it doesn't offer enough and may decide to join a gym, buy some equipment, etc etc and that's where this thing as well as it's peers come in handy. They lead us back into the frame of mind where we are thinking about fitness and how we're treating our bodies. It's a great starting point and you can make some good progress with it.